Where have all the good men gone,
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?

The clash of metal on metal wakes me from my fevered daze. The spell upon me is a strong one and it takes all of my sorcery to stay out of a comatose state. Through the haze of magic that holds my weak body, I can see the flash of steel, though I can no longer hear anything. Suspended above a great organ in the top of the wicked Ganondorf’s tower, I can see a battle in my mind’s eye. To my dismay, it is naught but a vision. Yet that vision holds hope.

Isn’t there a white night upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and turn and I dream of what I need…

“Will you give me your Wisdom, oh Princess of Hyrule?” a sneering voice echoes from below. I narrow my eyes at him and choose not to give a response. He merely sneers and goes back to his organ. The deceptive calm is betrayed only to me when the strength of my bonds increases. My breath comes shorter and shorter and I can feel the warm trickle of blood from my nose as I am forced to concentrate harder. soon I am fighting not only to stay conscious but to breathe at all.

I need a hero,
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light,
He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.

Again, the vision of salvation filters into my exhausted brain, this time a bit more clear. I can see the flash of steel on steel yet again, sparks flying every time the blades meet, both dark and shining. There is still no sound to accompany that vision but the haze is clearing.

I need a hero,
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night,
He’s gotta be sure and it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life…
Larger than life.

The crushing weight of Ganondorf’s sorcery is becoming too much for my frail body to handle. Even my magic can’t save me at this point but I am determined to hold out as long as I can, and then longer.
“Your resilience is impressive Princess,” he hisses, obviously irritated, “But you are a frail mage and your body WILL betray you…”
With that, he concentrates a sudden burst of crushing energy into my crystal prison, constricting the rise and fall of my chest. My scream is cut off as he crushes me. My lungs burn and I feel the trickle of blood out of my nose strengthen to a gush. It’s accompanied by a steady flow from mouth and ears.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I concentrate on that faint vision, that translucent hope flickering in the depths of my consciousness. There is darkness and crushing oblivion and a horrible sense of hopeless loneliness there to greet me.

Racing with the thunder
And rising with the heat
It’s gunna take a Superman
To Sweep me off my feet.

Fighting for the glimmer of hope, I can sense somewhere deep within my mind that if I just hold out a little while longer…Just a bit, then I will be safe. I will be secure in the strong arms of my savior, this I know for certain. That single piece of knowledge pulls me to itself and clears the vision of the battle.

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light
He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be larger than life.

There, clad in forest jade and chain mail, is my savior. Surely this was the one. His back is turned and I cannot see his face but I have an inkling that I’ve known who he would be from the start. The Triforce of Courage shines brightly on his left hand which also clutches that legendary blade, the Master Sword.

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be sure and it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life…
Larger than life.

My true eyes snap open and the constriction shatters. Ganondorf stumbles back, yellow eyes gleaming dangerously in my direction.
“It seems that I have, up until this point little one, severely underestimated your sorcery,” he snarls, “No longer, Princess…You will die and from your pure ashes, I will TAKE the Triforce of Wisdom.”
I needn’t have worry much longer, though…The glimmer of hope has become a beacon and the figure in my mind turns.

Up where the mountains meet the Heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there’s someone somewhere
Watching me.

His face is covered by a gentle smile, blue eyes shining brightly, blonde locks moving in a soft breeze.
“Hold on Zelda, I’m coming for you,” he whispers. I want to respond but he is only a vision. All I have is his word, but that is more than enough.

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like a fire in my blood .

The door of the tower crashes open and Ganondorf’s gaze snapa to it. I need not look, however, for I know who it is. His mere presence gives me strength though I can no longer move, such is my fatigue.
“Hold on Zelda! I’m coming for you!” he shouts, drawing his sword and rushing Ganondorf. The large sorcerer fires a ball of dark energy at Link, who rolls aside and brings up his shield.

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

Suddenly, the crystal is moving. Ganondorf is removing me from the picture so he can focus upon my savior. A crushing weight suddenly forces me into unconsciousness and darkness envelopes me.
When my eyes open, it is to Link himself, pulling me to my feet gently. The tower under us is shaking and the urgency in Link’s eyes tell me we should hurry. I know the way.
“Follow me,” I urge breathlessly. We make our way quickly but carefully down the tower, through the many twisting hallways and over perilous gaps in the walkway. We reach the bottom just in time to witness the tower sinking into the depths.
“It’s over,” I huff. Something within the ruins, something stirred.

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life…
Larger than life.

A giant beast rises from the wreckage, snarling venomously. Link pushes me behind him as the beast lunges. It’s giant blade comes down on his and knocks it spinning. Ganon hisses deep in his throat and slashes at my savior. Link shoves me down and dives to the side, saving me from the deadly blade. The beast howls and a ring of fire surrounds the fight. It is so hot, I can’t even go near it. I hear nothing now but the roar of flames. Realizing I can’t do anything physically, I seek out the stray Master Sword. Locating it after a bit of searching, I reach down and place a hand on the hilt. Power thrums through me from the weapon.

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

A sudden shriek snaps my attention up. The flames have dissipated and the beast is on the ground. Thinking quickly, I grab the hilt of the Master Sword and yank it from the earth.
“Link!” I shout. He looks up and extends a hand. I hurl the weapon toward him. He catches it easily. As his hand wraps around the hilt, Ganon stirs, raising his head. I scream.

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life…

I gather the remainder of my power and, calling upon the other sages, let loose a flurry of ancient power. It strikes Ganon head-on, imprisoning him in bonds of light. Link plunges the Master Sword deep into Ganon’s head. A gurgle of pain erupts from the creature and he slumps sideways. With his last uttered words, he curses Link and myself, then all goes silent. Link runs over to me and catches me as my knees buckle.
“Thank you Zelda,” he whispers, as he lowers me to the ground, laying my upper back on his lap. He is my savior, my hero…